What is the Beijing Treaty?

In 2012, after 20 years of negotiation and hard work by performers around the world, the member States of the United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) met in Beijing and approved aninternational convention establishing new moral and economic rights for performers who work in film, TV and digital audiovisual media: the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (BTAP). Read more

Why is it important?

The Beijing Treaty outlines global standards acknowledging the right of audiovisual performers to be compensated fairly for the use of their creative contributions. It grants performers economic rights to improve their livelihoods, as well as moral rights, giving them the ability to better protect their images. This treaty sets a landmark new global IP standard for audiovisual performances at international level. read more

How does it work?

The Beijing Treaty will become legally binding only once it is ratified by 30 eligible parties. It will encourage countries around the world to bring their national intellectual property provisions in line with these new international standards. The wider the ratification of the Beijing Treaty, the stronger the protection of audiovisual performances beyond national borders. read more